Since 2004, the President of the United States and Congress have declared the month of October to be Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors, and tribal communities to work together to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. Now in its 20th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month builds interest in the importance of cybersecurity and the resources needed for all Americans to be safer and more secure online.

The federal government is not immune from the need to #BeCyberSmart. In fact, the importance of federal cybersecurity cannot be overstated.  Every day, the federal government fends off tens of thousands of cyberattacks from adversaries. Some of these attacks are simple phishing emails–aimed at hopefully tricking an unassuming federal employee into doing something wrong – but others are more sophisticated attacks targeting the nation’s most precious data assets.

For federal agencies to safeguard their mission critical information technology, they must equip themselves with the proper cybersecurity solutions. Cyber technologies run the gamut and procuring these technologies can often be difficult. For some agencies, procurement officers not versed in cybersecurity might find it challenging to get fair pricing. For others, fair opportunity competition might be a stumbling block they’re not familiar with.

Fortunately, agencies don’t have to undergo the cybersecurity procurement process alone—NITAAC can help. All NITAAC Contracting Officers are Digital IT Acquisitions Professional (DITAP) certified, which means they are well-versed in designing innovative and flexible procurements for information technology and digital transformation.

NITAAC offers an array of Best in Class cybersecurity services and solutions through our three Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs). The CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP3 Small Business GWACs, in particular, have specific Task Areas where agencies can fulfill the need for cybersecurity solutions, such as Task Area 1 (IT Services for Biomedical Research, Health Sciences and Healthcare), Task Area 3 (Imaging) and Task Area 7 (Critical Infrastructure and Information Assurance). CIO-CS offers managed solutions on-premise or offsite, along with “as-a-service” commodity buys for out-of-the-box setup and distribution.

Cybersecurity has proven to be a necessary investment for government agencies.

Technology has provided new ways for government agencies to work, interact with citizens and improve overall operations. The NITAAC Contract Holders have the right cybersecurity solutions in place to ensure agencies can accomplish their missions knowing their information is protected and they can #BeCyberSmart.

To learn more about NITAAC’s cybersecurity solutions, visit nitaac.nih.gov/cybersecurity